1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to securing one flexible substrate to another, in some cases releasably and in other cases permanently. More particularly, the invention relates to utilizing a first substrate material and forming the second substrate from the first, as for example in the manufacturing of a package or a tape.
2. Related Art
In the past in the manufacture of resealable consumer product packaging, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,399 to Sanders, a tape is premade from a particular flexible material and is coated with a partially widthwise extending pressure sensitive adhesive to form a tack free flap. The pressure sensitive surface of the premade tape is then applied over a slit in the packaging material to keep the edges of the slit in fixed apposition. This system of making a resealable package suffers from several major drawbacks which severely limit its use. First, it is impossible to preprint graphics on a premade tape and achieve proper registration of the graphics when the tape is applied to the package where one or both of the package film and tape are characterized by any degree of stretch. Second, even if it were possible to achieve proper registration, the economics require the obtaining and storage of substantial customized tape inventories in order to have on hand what is needed to make a production package run. This is very expensive in that substantial capital can be tied up in tape inventory, and if inventories are held too long before use their usable life can be exceeded. Further, the art does not disclose a resealable package which provides evidence that the package has been opened. Moreover, resealable packages made according to the prior art do not provide a hermetic seal.
Additionally, when applying tearstrips to a package, or a reinforcement header strip, or a handle, it has in the past been necessary to provide separate materials for the tearstrips, headers, and handles. This requires that supplies of these materials be on hand, and that apparatus for properly affixing these materials to the package be provided.